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Ron Blake

Lest We Forget

The veteran saxman loosely fashions his label debut as a tribute to three diverse and influential jazz legends, Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington, Jr., and soul-jazz organist Charles Earland. Blake's more than up to the task of capturing the many moods of the first two, but how to capture the bluesy Hammond B-3 energy of Earland? Blake looked no further than Joey DeFrancesco, who brings his driving enthusiasm (and blazing sense of improv, where there are openings) to all but one of the tracks.

Ron Blake

Lest We Forget

The veteran saxman loosely fashions his label debut as a tribute to three diverse and influential jazz legends, Stanley Turrentine, Grover Washington, Jr., and soul-jazz organist Charles Earland. Blake's more than up to the task of capturing the many moods of the first two, but how to capture the bluesy Hammond B-3 energy of Earland? Blake looked no further than Joey DeFrancesco, who brings his driving enthusiasm (and blazing sense of improv, where there are openings) to all but one of the tracks.

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Ron Blake

Multi-talented saxophonist Ron Blake inhabits many worlds, and nowhere is this more apparent than on his third release for Mack Avenue, Shayari (shy-ree). Produced by pianist Michael Cain (who also appears on the CD), Shayari (the meaning, in Urdu, a type of ancient poetry consisting of couplets and a highly stylized form of verse considered extremely beautiful) combines fertile ground from each of Blake’s worlds to create an extraordinary landscape of its own. Showcased here in an intimate, unplugged, trio setting, the CD also features performances by special guests drummer Jack DeJohnette, bassist Christian McBride, violinist Regina Carter and percussionist Gilmar Gomes.